Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino: Help the Homeless

Sunday, November 18, 2012

November is homelessness awareness month and I recently had the honor of joining elected officials and representatives from community organizations throughout the Capital Region at a kick-off event hosted by the Capital Region Coalition to End Homelessness. This vital Coalition is comprised of more than 40 organizations which provide housing, shelter and support services to the homeless, the poor, and persons in need.

The event occurred at the SAFE House, a shelter for homeless and runaway youth in Schenectady, and was extremely informative as it examined what is it that we all need to be aware of when it comes to homelessness, and certainly affects our own local towns, cities and neighborhoods.

First, there is no stereotypical person who finds themselves homeless. People who are single, married, employed, unemployed, veterans, young, old, male, female, healthy or ill, etc. can become homeless. For many people circumstances beyond their control such as jobs cuts because of the economy, apartments that fail to meet code enforcement standards, domestic violence, inadequate guardianship, and as we have seen all too recently, natural disasters, can leave them without a place to call home. According to the Coalition, so far this year here in Rensselaer County 1,100 households including 369 families with 700 children have sought homeless assistance. Of the 1,800 "literally homeless" households that have been served, meaning of those living in emergency shelters or in places not meant for human habitation, including living in vehicles or on the street, 31 percent were households with children and 7 percent of those were comprised of two parent families.

Second, seven years ago people from throughout Rensselaer County came together to compile a Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. This plan put forth the solutions now implemented in our County for successfully preventing and ending homelessness. These solutions include Housing First Programs, such as those managed by Joseph's House and Shelter in Troy, Permanent Supported Housing for persons living with disabilities such as that provided by Unity House and the YWCA, and providing emergency shelter to families helping keep moms and children together during their crisis such as St. Paul's Center in Rensselaer while staff help the family search for permanent affordable housing. Lastly, the plan also recommended financial assistance to residents to prevent impending evictions.

Third, the county's Human Services Cabinet and community based organizations throughout the county have focused attention on homeless families in order to provide more comprehensive services to those most at risk to help them return to self-sufficiency. This initiative has not only made a difference in the lives of these families but has also saved taxpayer dollars by reducing the expense of services provided on a disjointed basis.

Fourth, as we approach the more difficult weather that the winter brings, we as a community need to be even more mindful of those who have no certainty of where they will sleep tonight.

My thanks to all who work to end homelessness and to all of you who support their efforts! Only with community participation through awareness can we make a meaningful contribution to add to the success of these vital and necessary programs.

And speaking about participation, anyone with an interest in helping those in need can contribute by attending the fourth annual "Help for the Homeless" benefit concert featuring Judy Collins and Jimmy Webb.

The concert will be held at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. with support from the Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Capital Region. Tickets can be purchased from the Music Hall box office or online at www.troymusichall.org. A portion of the proceeds from this concert will go to homeless and housing providers in our community.